Cleaner blades for compactor wheels



July 5, 1966 Filed Oct. 4

R. A. PETERSON ET AL CLEANER BLADES FOR COMPACTOR WHEELS 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS Boar/P7 A. PETERSON GER/4L0 5. GRANT dn j O ATTORZVEYS y 5, 1966 R. A. PETERSON ET AL 3,259,036

CLEANER BLADES FOR COMPAGTOR WHEELS Filed Oct. 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS RoemrA. PETERSON GERALD E. GRANT We LWJX A TTORNEYS' United States Patent m 3,259,036 CLEANER BLADES FOR COMPACTOR WHEELS Robert A. Peterson, San Leandro, Calif., and Gerald E.

Grant, East Peoria, Ill.,' assignors to Caterpillar Tractor Co., Peoria, lll., a corporation of California Filed Oct. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 314,006 2 Claims. (Cl. 94-50) This invention relates to cleaner blades used for the purpose of ejecting soil and other materials from between the rows of compactor feet on the wheels of a vehicle employed for compacting earth.

It is an object of the invention to provide a compactor wheel cleaner with two sets of cleaner blades operable, one set for each direction of movement of the vehicle and to provide means for automatically adjusting the blades to place one set in an operative position and move the other set from its operative position when the direction of movement of the vehicle, and therefore the direction of rotation of the wheel, is reversed.

Further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention and the manner in which it is carried into practice are made apparent from the following specification wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a tractor equipped with compactor wheels and having cleaner blades embodying the present invention for its rear wheels and a set of cleaner blades for its forward wheels embodying a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the tractor taken on the line IIII of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view in side elevation, with parts broken away, of the rear wheel cleaner blades shown in FIG. 1.

The tractor shown in FIG. 1 is of a well known articulated type in which a front section with front wheels is pivotally connected as by pins 11 with the rear section supported by wheels 12. Other details of construction of the tractor are unnecessary to an understanding of the present invention. The wheels 10 and 12 are shown as provided with spaced rows of compactor feet 14 as usually employed for compacting new fill in an earthmoving project. Moist earth, rock and other materials that become lodged between the compactor feet reduce their compacting efficiency. In order constantly to remove such lodged material, the present invention provides two sets of cleaning blades, as shown at 16 and 18 in FIGS. 1 and 2, for each of the rear wheels 12. These blades are in the form of hardened elements welded or otherwise secured to sets of arms 20 and 22, respectively, which are secured to a common supporting bar 24 (see also FIG. 3). The bar 24 is pivotally supported as by a pair of brackets 25 pivoted as by pins 26 to a pair of large brackets 28 fixed to and extending rearwardly of the tractor. A pair of jacks 30 is also pivoted to the brackets 28 and their extensible and retractable rods are pivoted to brackets 31 which are fixed to the teeth supporting bar 24.

With the construction thus far described, the jacks 30 may be actuated to adjust the cleaner blade assemblies from the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 where the lower blades 16 are effective to remove material from between compactor feet when the vehicle is moving forwardly, to a position where the upper blades 18 are moved inwardly toward the periphery of the wheels to clean them when the vehicle is moving rearwardly. As is evident from FIGS. 1 and 3, the lower or effective blades 16 are disposed in positions which are nearly tangential to the wheels so that material between the compactor feet is in effect planed or peeled from the surfaces of the wheels as they rotate so that a minimum of energy is acquired for their operation. Retraction of the jacks 30 from the posi- 3,259,036 Patented July 5, 1966 tion shown will move the upper blades 18 to a position similar to that shown for the lower blades while the lower blades are moved downwardly and spaced from the periphery of the wheels.

Adjustable stop means are provided to insure precise positioning of the blades as close to the wheels as is practical and are in the form of stop dogs 34 (see FIG. 3) engaged by arms 35 fixed to the bar 24. The stop dogs are slotted and secured to the brackets 28 by bolts or capscrews 36 extending through their slots so that the dogs may be positioned for engagement with the arm 35 and positioning of the blades 16 and 18 as close as desired to the periphery of the wheel.

The jacks 30 are actuated by hydraulic fluid under pressure from a suitable source, not shown, in the tractor and a valve, shown at 38 in FIG. 1, controls the flow of fluid selectively to opposite ends of the jacks. The valve may be any one of several well known types designed for this purpose and in order that the cleaning blade assembly will be adjusted to their proper positions automatically upon reversal of direction of movement of the tractor, the valve is disposed adjacent a forward reverse gear shift lever 40 at the operators station. An extension 41 of said lever engages the operating lever of the valve to change its effective position automatically with the direction of movement of the tractor.

A modified form of the invention is disclosed in connection with the front wheels 10 of the tractor in FIG. 1. This invention comprises a plurality of V-shaped double ended cleaner blades 42 pivotally supported on a common shaft 43 for movement from the full line position illustrated to the broken line position. The full line position shows a blade with its lower end disposed adjacent the periphery of the wheel between rows of compactor feet thereon for cleaning the surface of the wheel when the tractor is moving in a forward direction. The broken line position illustrates the same blade with its upper end adjacent the periphery of the wheel for cleaning the same while the tractor is moving rearwardly. Stops in the form of adjustable screws 44 and 45 limit the swinging movement of the double ended blades. These blades will also reverse their positions automatically if there is material to be removed from between the compactor feet. This is accomplished by the presence of the material itself which would be lodged between the rows of blades in the area indicated at 47 in FIG. 1 when the tractor, having moved forwardly, was brought to a stop. Upon subsequent movement of the tractor in a rearward direction, the material at 47 passes beneath the upper end of the double ended blade and then upon engagement with the lower end thereof swings the blade to its broken line position so that it is in position for cleaning during rearward travel. A similar but opposite action would take place when the tractor was again driven forwardly.

The positively actuated automatic reversible arrangement shown on the rear wheels of the tractor is also contemplated for use on the front wheels of an articulated machine of the type illustrated in FIG. 1. However, the construction may prove somewhat cumbersome on the front or steering wheels of other types of tractors because of the fact that the wheels are dirigible and the alternate form of the invention will prove more readily adaptable to such wheels.

We claim:

1. Means for cleaning the surface of a compactor wheel on a tractor comprising a pair of blades mounted at an angle to each other which diverges toward the wheel and means pivotally supporting the blades as a unit for swinging either of the blades toward the wheel to a cleaning position while the other is swung away from the wheel, a hydraulic jack for swinging said blades, means at the operators station of the tractor for controlling the operation of the jack, and stop means to limit the swinging 1,368,027 2/1921 Dueker 280158 X movement of the blades to positions closely adjacent the 1,690,922 11/1928 Brack 280--158 X peripheral surface of the wheel. 1,753,992 4/1930 Larson 280-158 2. The combination of claim 1 in which the tractor has 1,840,070 1/1932 Webber 28015 8 a forward and reverse transmission with a control lever at 5 2,650,679 9/ 1953 Durkin 280158 X the operators station, and means connecting the transmis- 3,085,484 4/ 1963 McAdams 94-50 sion control with the jack control means to automatically change the position of the blades when the direction of FO EIGN P TENTS travel of the tractor is reversed. 5 7 750 1 925 France 10 References CIted y the Examiner CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENTS JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiner. 258,046 5/1882 Fogarty 280158 X 983,196 1/1911 Anderson 280 158 BYERS, Asslsmnr Examiner- 1,222,122 4/1917 Norcross 280--158 X 15 

1. MEANS FOR CLEANING THE SURFACE OF A COMPACTOR WHEEL ON A TRACTOR COMPRISING A PAIR OF BLADES MOUNTED AT AN ANGLE TO EACH OTHER WHICH DIVERGES TOWARD THE WHEEL AND MEANS PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING THE BLADES AS A UNIT FOR SWINGING EITHER OF THE BLADES TOWARD THE WHEEL TO A CLEANING POSITION WHILE THE OTHER IS SWUNG AWAY FROM THE WHEEL, A HYDRAULIC JACK FOR SWINGING SAID BLADES, MEANS AT THE OPERATOR''S STATION OF THE TRACTOR FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF THE JACK, AND STOP MEANS TO LIMIT THE SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE BLADES TO POSITIONS CLOSELY ADJACENT THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF THE WHEEL. 